The invention relates to a hard-top vehicle having a roof structure which includes a roof part and a rear-window part connected pivotably thereto. The roof structure can be lowered from a closed position, in which it bears against a front windscreen frame and covers the rear-passenger-compartment region, into an open position, towards the tail-end region of the vehicle, via a positive-control device. The positive-control device is supported in the tail-end region of the vehicle bodywork and can be pivoted about a tail-end pivot pin fixed to the vehicle, into a folding-top compartment. The positive-control device has at least one control element which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the roof part in the region of a roof pivot pin.
In the case of known hard-top vehicles of the above-mentioned type, such as in German Patent document DE 43 20 468, the two-part roof structure, which includes a roof part and a rear-window part, is provided with an automatic pivot drive. The automatic pivot drive makes it possible for the roof parts to be pivoted, both during the opening and during the closing operations, over a pivot path which is essentially in the form of a circular arc. In this arrangement, the front region of the roof part is also moved, in the last movement phase during the closing operation, towards the region of the windscreen frame on the circle-arc pivot path. The has the result that considerable structural outlay is necessary in the region of the connecting parts in order to avoid leakages between the roof part and the windscreen frame, in particular during an automatic closing operation.
There is therefore needed a hardtop vehicle whose positive-control elements, connected to the roof parts, make it possible for the roof structure to be moved automatically into a reliably sealed closed position in the region of the windscreen frame, with a low degree of technical outlay and with a low space requirement.
These needs are met according to the present invention by a hard-top vehicle having a roof structure including a roof part and a pivotably connected rear-window part. The roof structure can be lowered from a closed position, in which it bears against a front windscreen frame and covers the rear-passenger-compartment region, into an open position, towards the tail-end region of the vehicle, via a positive-control device. The positive-control device is supported in the tail-end region of the vehicle bodywork and can be pivoted about a tail-end pivot pin fixed to the vehicle, into a folding-top compartment. The positive-control device has at least one control element which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the roof part in the region of a roof pivot pin. The control element is designed as a linkage. In the region of the roof pivot pin, the linkage acts on a guide part with a guide rod and a main guide rod, such that the linkage forms, with at least one pivot link supported in the region of the tail-end pivot pin and connected to a drive member, a link parallelogram which simultaneously moves the roof part and the rear-window part.
The hard-top vehicle configured according to the present invention exhibits, with the linkage, a component combination which interacts with the two roof parts as pivot and guide element. With the guide rod and the main guide rod, the component combination permits a pivot movement, initiated merely via two drive cylinders, of the roof part and of the rear-window part into the open position as well as the return thereof from the folding-top compartment towards the windscreen frame. This has the effect of a combined pivot/sliding movement with a virtually horizontal approach to the windscreen frame.
In this arrangement, the linkage components and the roof part form a link parallelogram. With a low degree of technical outlay by way of a change in the dimensions of the components, the link parallelogram permits the respective pivot path of the roof structure to be influenced. This is done such that, in the last movement phase of the pivot movement during the closing operation, the roof structure passes into a flat closed curvilinear path. As a result, precise mutual positioning of the two border regions of the wind screen frame and of the roof part, which are to be connected to one another, is achieved. Thereafter, the mutual locking of the components is made possible by a short horizontal thrust movement.
In the installed position, the linkage components are supported on the bodywork in the region of respective bearing blocks and can be moved via these bearing blocks with an advantageously low space requirement such that, in the open position, the linkage parts can be lowered into a receiving chamber located beneath a top-rim line of the bodywork. This thus forms, overall, a visually more pleasing transition region between-the rear passenger compartment of the vehicle and the tall-end part.
The overall compact linkage permits, with a small number of bearing locations, extremely precise movement and positioning adjustment of the roof structure. In an especially advantageous design, the roof part may be provided, with a guide and adjustment member in the region of the guide part. The guide and adjustment member permits preliminary adjustment of the connecting position of the roof part and the windscreen frame. Consequently, the entire roof structure may be adjusted, in a pre-assembled state, with a low degree of outlay, for example on an auxiliary apparatus, such that the pivot path of the roof structure permits optimum connection of the components. Furthermore, with low setting forces which thus do not adversely affect the materials, the components can be moved into the open and/or closed positions with high repetition accuracy.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.